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papawawesome
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# Posted: 11 Aug 2014 01:43am
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Hi guys/girls
Wife and I are building a cabin. I have been dreaming about it almost a decade and its time to get it done. Life is too short to keep wishing, so I have to get er done.
We are in North Dakota, wife has a good job she likes here, and our grandson lives here, so we want to stay close, but one problem. Theres no woods in North Dakota! It's all flat farmland.
So I was thinking of a few different places. MN which is close by, WI, which is about 4-5 hrs away, enough for a drive on Friday evening to spend the weekend. Or 6hrs in the other direction in Montana, or wait for it... Oklahoma. The reason I was thinking about Oklahoma is the trees and hills, and warm winters. It's a good 10-15 hrs to get down there, so weekending might get difficult. Anyway, thats our story. What do you think of the locations? Where would you start hunting for land? I want to find land way out in the boonies, deep in the trees, away from town, a relaxing off grid retreat. Northern MN might be an excellent place to do it. But man do our winters get cold up here. Itd be nice to be south, to escape the cold in winter.
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Truecabin
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# Posted: 11 Aug 2014 02:06am - Edited by: Truecabin
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a cabin cant be too close or too far im about 3 hours but i wish it was 2 hours
to me more than 4 hours is too far sorry your out in the middle of flat land dont really know what to say but WI might be my vote
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Wilbour
Member
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# Posted: 11 Aug 2014 02:48am
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I like flat land
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papawawesome
Member
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# Posted: 11 Aug 2014 03:23am - Edited by: papawawesome
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I like the woods and hills personally, but farm country has its charm too. Its safe and friendly.
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PatrickH
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# Posted: 11 Aug 2014 07:21am
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Minnesota has lower taxes,permit fees and you can install your own septic and plumbing. Wi you have to have a master plumber install septic and plumb 1 bath and kitchen. I prefer the rolling hills of Wi myself If I where you I would look in MN so close to you,I drive about 3 hrs and that is pretty doable on a regular basis. Wi is also crunching down on electrical.
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bldginsp
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# Posted: 11 Aug 2014 08:27am
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My place is 5 hours away, I wish it was closer, but it's a nice place and always feels great to get there.
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papawawesome
Member
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# Posted: 11 Aug 2014 05:01pm
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Thanks PatrickH
I did not know that, sounds like you've been there done that.
I would like to eventually install a well and septic, but to start out, a dry cabin with a compost toilet is the plan.
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Purplerules
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# Posted: 11 Aug 2014 06:16pm
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Welcome, Our cabin is 2 and a half hours away and that is perfect for use to pretty much make it every other weekend.
I would check the requirements out for each of those states especially if you are a do it yourself kind of person. And start looking for land were you can get the most with the least permit restrictions. Just my two cents.
BEST OF LUCK TO YOU.
Keep posting about your journey here.
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suburbancowboy
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# Posted: 11 Aug 2014 06:44pm
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I go to my cabin every other weekend. My drive is about 90 minutes. Far enough away to feel like I have gotten away, and not so far that I don't want to make that drive every other weekend.
The more frequently that you plan on going the more the distance will be a factor. If you plan on building yourself hauling materials a long distance becomes a factor.
These people that drive 3+ hours each way I have to admire, but I would also guess they aren't going to the cabin frequently.
So first determine how often you plan on going and how long you plan on staying each time.
But this is just me. I love my place so much, I have decided to drive there in an afternoon. Hung out for a few hours, and went home that night.
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naturelover66
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# Posted: 11 Aug 2014 08:32pm
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Montana....i would look in Montana.
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OwenChristensen
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# Posted: 11 Aug 2014 08:45pm
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If you could have a cabin 75 or eighty miles into MN , it would be wonderful. Beautiful rolling wooded and chalk full of lakes. The winter aren't that bad in the woods, less wind.
I live in Duluth and love it, but I've always like Nothern MN headed your way before it gets to the flat farmland.
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RichInTheUSA
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# Posted: 11 Aug 2014 09:55pm
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My wife and I just bought our cabin this year. It's 1 hr away, and I'm sure glad it is. It's all up to you, but distance does become a factor. Not just for you, but for family and friends you want to have visit.
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neb
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# Posted: 11 Aug 2014 10:16pm
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My two cents would be find a place in western MN. You would be closer then MT. You would have to go west a longs ways to find a place a man could afford. Oil has everything so high you will need deep pockets. If you go west of Billings you can find some land and affordable land.
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papawawesome
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# Posted: 11 Aug 2014 11:35pm - Edited by: papawawesome
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Owen,
Being in Duluth you most likely know where voyager national is, that is one of my favorite areas to go. Lots of North Dakotans (I am a Hoosier transplant here) go to lake of the woods, and I find it too busy, so we go a bit further and camp at voyager. Gorgeous area.
We go about an hour into MN and we are back in the woods. A couple hours and Im right at home in the thick woods. I like that idea. Keep your eyes open this winter. That's when I plan to buy a piece of land. If you see something good give me a shout if you remember.
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OwenChristensen
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# Posted: 12 Aug 2014 08:55am
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I will do that. I'm building on Pelican lake right now at Orr. See '' new design going up'' . I built four cabins this year and have four left to build, all in the deep woods on northern MN.
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brokeneck
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# Posted: 15 Sep 2014 07:34pm
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Were blessed that our cabin is less than an hour away sometimes I just go up for the night and shoot right into work -- nothing beats starting a work-day by catching a fish while drinking your morning coffee....
I'd say the closer it is the more you'll actually use it -- is there really nothing closer than 3-4 hours?
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brokeneck
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# Posted: 15 Sep 2014 07:45pm
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How about Lake Audabon or around the Missouri River basin?
As I recall there's lost of small Lakes dotting the state but it would still be cold....
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Ruggles
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# Posted: 16 Sep 2014 10:56am
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We decided 3 hours was max for weekend use for us so we actually got a map and drew a 3 hour circle around the house and started looking from there. Growing up in MI and now having lived out west for 20 plus years, "too far to drive" is very different between them. Driving to Wyoming, New Mexico, Utah etc from Colorado for the weekend is no big deal out here for some reason. Driving to a different state back east of the Mississippi was a big deal. Don't know why.
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Wilbour
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# Posted: 16 Sep 2014 12:06pm
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We drive 2 hours to the ferry then wait for sometimes an hour, ride the ferry 20 mins and drive again for 10. That's long enough for a weekend. After work you want time to arrive, cook a meal and setup for bed on the Friday night.
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LastOutlaw
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# Posted: 16 Sep 2014 12:09pm - Edited by: LastOutlaw
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I'm 6 hours away from my cabin. I wish I was closer. It is a very long drive for a weekend and I have to leave fairly early on Sunday afternoon to get home at a decent hour. If I leave early from work on Friday I'm usually in cabin by 9 or 10 pm. Gives me about a day and a half there.
We are working on ways to either move closer to it or directly into it.
Ours is in S.E. Oklahoma.
Love the area.
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skootamattaschmidty
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# Posted: 16 Sep 2014 01:06pm
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My place is 4.5 hours with no traffic. I love the drive once I'm past Toronto. I'm not a fan of the dreaded 401. Thos in Ontario will know what I'm talking about. Because of the drive I don't usually go up for a regular short weekend but I will. I prefer an extra day. Luckily I'm a shift worker on a compressed work week that allows me to have extended weekends.
Something to consider is winter time use. When we go up in the winter we usually leave early in the morning and get there before noon. Then we have the whole day to get the place heated up before bed. We have gone up on a Friday night, arriving at 10:00pm and it -20 Celsius inside. Takes a few hours to get it warmed up that's for sure.
Ultimately it is worth the drive for me to get away and relax and the drive has not hindered family or friends from coming.
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Tarmetto
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# Posted: 17 Sep 2014 12:00pm
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Our lot is 2 hours away, and to the south. 10 degrees warmer on average than where we live...bad thing in the summer (dang hot!)...but good thing in the winter!
There's 10 ways to get there from here...all are 2 hours. Which is far enough to be a getaway, and also far enough to refuse to drive back for mini-drama self inflicted "emergencies" if the grown children call...LOL!
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papawawesome
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# Posted: 19 Sep 2014 09:49am
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Thanks y'all, it's looking like thats my best option. Even if it's a couple hours away. I am looking for land this winter, and hope to get started in spring. At the moment I am fixing up an old house we bought, so we wont have a house payment, or rent. As soon as that's finished, we should have plenty of money left at the end of the month to stick some money back for it, and buy some land this winter. Pretty much only debt we have left is a car payment. So the plan is coming together nicely so far.
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vandersysml
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# Posted: 19 Sep 2014 10:37am
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If Oklahoma does come back up on your radar, there are some great options here (I live in Oklahoma now). Anything East of OKC is beautiful, green, hilly, and CHEAP. My parents bought 60 acres an hour from OKC for $600 an acre. There are lots of 5-50 acre tracts available, land is cheap, taxes are cheap, and hunting/fishing is great. Between bow and rifle seasons you can bag 6 deer here, and you never have to draw for a tag like you do up north, they're all over the counter.
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Borrego
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# Posted: 28 Sep 2014 06:54pm
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I agree with those that say keep it to 2 hours or so. Any more and most people won't go, or not nearly as awesome....and so why get a little bit of paradise if it's going to be a pain to get there? The distance is a deal breaker for me, you can deal with anything else, heat, cold, whatever, gotta be close, yet remote. I like the sound of Montana if where you are is too flat...
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slacker
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# Posted: 29 Sep 2014 11:48pm
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We're a 6 hour drive, 5 if we leave the city at 3am and drive into the sunrise. (Philly/VT) It's way too long of a drive for sane people. Two tips for a long drive, books on tape and a loaded up playlist on the phone; healthy snacks for the ride. If you're in the middle of the east coast you're gonna have to drive if you want to find a quiet space without a lot of people around.
We are looking to either move closer, or move up all together.
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Wilbour
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# Posted: 30 Sep 2014 09:02am
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We had a down payment on a property on Prince Edward Island in the Gulf of St. Lawrence but the purchase fell through. That was going to be a 16 hour drive one way ($250 in gas there and back). It was an amazing spot but realistically it's just too far. I was only going to be able to make it there for 4 one week trips per year.
Our 2.5 hour cabin trip is more realistic to the point we can make day trips and still get some work done.
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turkeyhunter
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# Posted: 30 Sep 2014 09:18am
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I have 2 cabins and the northern camp is 26 hours...too dang far.
Now the southern camp is 30 min drive. PERFECT!!!
I think I will ride to camp now and enjoy the afternoon.
I love Montana --BUT land prices are HIGH dollar. But BEAUTIFUL for sure!!!
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Cabin_is_heaven
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# Posted: 1 Oct 2014 12:11am
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My cabin is in south central Tennessee and my wife and I live on the Florida panhandle near pensacola. We are about 7 hours away if hauling a trailer...about 6.5 hours if we are just driving our car or truck. I go up about twice a month...and I spend every vacation from work up there as well...I currently get 3 weeks a year. Early on when I was building, we drove the truck hauling a trailer almost every time...gas was EXPENSIVE. Now we take the car 90% of the time(Scion xB) and get about 35mpg. Gas is less than $120 round trip in the car...very doable. At first, the drive really sucked, after the initial excitement of owning land and starting building the cabin wore off. But now after making that drive every other week for 2 years, the drive really is very easy to do and I don't feel like it is far at all. The fact that it is so far away, really makes me feel like I am getting AWAY, and with my stressful job here at home, that really helps me to stay sane. I am so at peace when I am up there at the cabin and I can really decompress...it's wonderful. We looked closer to home but I am glad we ended up choosing where we did. We will move there permanently one day...hopefully within the next few years. The plan was to be there already...but you know how that goes...lol.
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